


Frostbite

by TheSteinsGateFormula



Series: That universe where Karma and Asano are brothers and everyone else suffers because of it. [1]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Akabane Karma & Asano Gakushuu are Siblings, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Karashuu 2021, Past Child Abuse, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29013225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSteinsGateFormula/pseuds/TheSteinsGateFormula
Summary: When his brother, Gakushuu, asks to spend Christmas with him he accepts, even though he isn't sure why considering their less than ideal childhood.
Series: That universe where Karma and Asano are brothers and everyone else suffers because of it. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129826
Comments: 5
Kudos: 92





	Frostbite

**Author's Note:**

> I am so late for this, but I was looking through the Karashuu prompts again and got a burst of inspiration at 11pm.
> 
> (Prompt Karashuu Day 2 - Siblings)

Gakuhou Asano was a terrible father and Kairi Akabane was a terrible mother.

And together they had produced two terrible children, or at least that was how Karma decided to describe it in the simplest terms to Nagisa when the boy had stumbled across the hidden skeletons in the closet.

Anyway, it didn’t matter, Kairi Akabane was a career-driven financial broker who preferred travelling to actually parenting; which suited Karma just fine considering it was a better alternative than living with his father, who’s idea of good parenting involved locking your children out in the rain if they scored below a 90% in an elementary school spelling test.

Karma poked at his bao bun, his stomach twisting when the awkwardness at the dinner table grew. 

Honestly, when his parents had finally divorced when he and Gakushuu were Ten years old, it was like a blessing in disguise. Like he’d finally been given the key to his freedom.

After the divorce, his mom hadn’t given two shit if he’d studied, so long as his grades remained high enough for him to get into a decent high school.

He was free…

Well at least for 28 or 29 days of the usual month. One weekend had to be spent with his father and brother, as per court agreement, which was…

Karma kept poking at his food, keeping his gaze fixed on the plate while the scrapes of cutlery were the only other sound.

 _It was fine._ Honestly, his father eventually lost interest and barely even spoke to him when he visited, and when Karma stopped showing up on his designated visitation days when he hit 13, his father didn’t even call.

_It was fine._

_It was a good arrangement._

Karma had his freedom, Gakushuu had all their father’s attention and everything was—

“Do you have any plans for your birthday this year, son?”

His whole body seized up, pausing for a long moment until he looked up to see the Principal staring at him from the head of the table, smiling…

_Why was his father speaking to him?_

“…My birthday?” Karma repeated, glancing at Gakushuu who was silent, sitting opposite, a faded bruise on his cheek; a visual reminder of the consequences of finals.

“Yes.” The Principal smiled, pleasant. “I understand your mother isn’t returning until the new year.” He sipped some wine. “I won’t be working Christmas day, so you’re welcomed to spend it here.”

Karma stared at him, the seconds stretching on while Gakushuu watched with a cold and detached expression.

“…You want me to spend my birthday _here_.” Karma’s kept his tone casual, controlling his nerves. “With you?”

His father chuckled, something about it making him want to cringe. “I thought it would be nice.”

Karma looked at Gakushuu who was eating calmly, and then at the sperm donor, he called father.

The father who’d barely acknowledged he existed for nearly six years.

The same father had threatened to blow himself up in front of him and his classmates, all just to prove a point and who’d slapped his older brother across a classroom for losing first place by three points.

Karma looked his father dead in the eye. “…I think I’d rather break my own fingers.”

Gakushuu choked and nearly spat out his food when Karma said that.

Their father’s smile dropped. “ _Karma_ —”

“I thought I got my sense of humour from mom, but I guess I was wrong,” Karma’s voice was flat and dry.

Gakushuu coughed, choking hard and having to drink some water.

The Principal took a deep breath, a common sight when he’d been younger and living permanently with the man. “I was just making a suggestion—”

“A terrible one,” Gakushuu muttered into his napkin.

Their father shot him a stern look, one his brother ignored. “ _Boys_ …” He sighed, looking at them both like they were ten years old again. “I just thought it would be nice, especially considering it’s the holidays.”

“Since when have we celebrated the holidays?” Gakushuu spoked up, narrowing his gaze.

Karma gripped his fork tight. “Yeah.” He smiled sharply. “Unless you mean the time you made Gakushuu and me stay outside in the snow for four hours because we didn’t pass your stupid tests?”

He remembered the frostbite nipping his toes and fingers while Gakushuu huddled with him against the backdoor of the house.

The almost guilt-ridden look on his father’s face is enough to say that he remembered vividly as well.

“Yeah.” Karma’s smile was tight and pleasant. “So, I think I’ll pass, _dad.”_

Their father grew silent, expression closed off.

No one spoke for the rest of the dinner.

* * *

After dinner, there was a knock on the room door.

“What?” Karma kept his gaze glued on his handheld game console while he was sat in the guest room he occupied when visiting overnight; the room was plain and dull, he’d never bothered to try decorating.

Gakushuu opened the door and frowned. “I believe a polite ‘come in’ would be better suited.”

Karma rolled his eyes and didn’t look away from the screen. “Yeah, and?”

His brother sighed, shutting the door, still dressed in his uniform even though it was nearly 1 AM on Saturday morning. Then again, even he’d bothered to dress into shorts and a t-shirt to at least pretend he was going to get a decent amount of sleep.

“Did he send you here to talk to me?” Karma raised an eyebrow.

Gakushuu scowled. “No.” He crossed his arms. “Frankly, his attempts at parenting are driving me crazy.”

The corner of Karma’s lips twitched upwards, lowering the console. “Aw, but I thought getting dad’s attention was all you wanted, _big bro_!?”

His brother’s gaze stayed cold. “Yes, and I have a mark on my face showing just how wonderful his attention is.”

Karma’s smirk disappeared, something ugly nestled in his stomach. “…So what do you want?” He looked away, uncomfortable the more he stared at the bruise on his brother’s face.

Gakushuu sighed, leaning against the desk, glancing at the comic books briefly before looking back at him. “…Come spend Christmas with us.”

Karma’s expression became closed off. “Funny, I saw your mouth move, but only dad was speaking.”

He grimaced. “It’s not for him. Honestly, the last thing I want is for his warped attempt at a family Christmas.” His brow furrowed. “I just…I would like it if we…spent time together considering everything that’s happened this past year.”

Karma eyed him warily. “…Why?”

Gakushuu narrowed his eyes. “Because you’re my brother.”

“…Yeah, and?”

“God damn it, Karma,” Gakushuu snapped, growing frustrated. “Will you just spend the day with me already?”

Karma narrowed his eyes, still hesitant. “…I’m not playing happy families with him.”

“Which is why I’m asking you,” Gakushuu replied impatiently. “If I have to put up with our father’s bullshit for 48 hours, I would at least like some company.”

Karma hummed, still staring at him, wondering what the other reason was since he knew for a fact that his brother could very easily spend Christmas with Sakikabara if he wanted to; God knows the two of them were probably sleeping together with how they acted around each other.

 _Maybe he misses you,_ a voice which sounded like Koro-sensei slipped into his ear.

Karma sighed, masking a scowl. His chest twisting when he thought of the mutated teacher.

“…If I say yes will you get out and leave me alone?”

* * *

They spent most of Christmas day avoiding the Principal’s attempts at fatherly affection; the man had tried to pat Karma’s head like he was some sort of dog.

Karma kicked a heap of snow while he sat on the swings next to Gakushuu, they were both wrapped up warm, layers of clothing to protect them from the freezing temperature; not that it bothered him much since he was used to spending long hours outside.

“When is she getting back anyway?” Gakushuu broke the silence, looking up from his phone.

Never mom or mother, just _she._ Now that was a whole can of worms that would probably need unpacking one day.

“Probably in the new year.” Karma shrugged, and then raised an eyebrow. “Why? You want her to send you a birthday card?”

It was petty and stupid, but it was like it slipped out before he could stop it.

The reaction was instant when the sore spot was prodded. “Why? Did she send you yours?”

Karma gripped the swing handles tight, taking a deep breath and staying calm like Koro-sensei had taught him. “Why do you even care anyway?”

“I don’t.” His brother’s voice was clipped.

Karma nearly snorted at the bad lie. “Yeah, sure…” He kicked the ground again, a silence settling between then for a while. “…If it makes you feel better, she still likes you more.”

_Everyone liked Gakushuu more. It was like some kind of default._

“What makes you say that?” Gakushuu replied hesitantly.

Karma faced straight ahead, focusing on the slide which was piled up with snow. “You’re the baby she wanted.” He shrugged, a numbness spreading from his fingertips. “I’m just the baby she pushed out because her and dad fucked too early.”

“ _Karma.”_ Gakushuu scolded sharply like he had when Karma had sworn too often when they were kids.

But, he was just telling it how it was in the most simplest of terms.

Having your first baby at the start of the year and then getting pregnant three months later would have been a nightmare, especially considering how career-driven their mother was. He’d figured that out early when his mom had practically forced him into Kindergarten early just so she could catch up on the career opportunities missed thanks to Karma’s unplanned arrival.

I’m just saying that’s how it is.” He shrugged unapologetically. “You can’t blame the woman for resentment.”

Gakushuu stayed quiet for a bit until something in his gaze softened. “…Yes, well, she’s not the ideal mother herself, so that’s her loss.”

Karma raised an eyebrow. “And what’s the better alternative, our father?”

His brother grimaced. “Not particularly.”

Karma hummed, flexing his fingers when they started to feel numb. “…Do you remember when he put us on that stupid nutrition diet when we were nine?”

“…The one you firmly sabotaged at every corner? Yes, I remember.” Gakushuu voice was dry, causing him to smirk. “I seem to recall you hiding crates of that disgusting strawberry milk under my bed when he searched our room.”

Karma started to grin. “Yeah, but remember when I made that hole behind my poster to store the stuff?”

The corner of Gakushuu’s lips curled upwards. “…I do remember his expression when he found it.”

Karma nearly laughed, swinging a bit back and forth. “I actually think he was impressed.”

Gakushuu was trying hard not to smile. “I believe it verged more on disbelief, he did walk out of the room in silence – I don’t’ recall seeing him for the remainder of the day.”

Karma laughed, remembering the look of shock on the man’s face. “Even the fucking contractor laughed when he saw it.” He grinned. “He didn’t believe me when I said I did it with a fork.”

“Yes.” His brother was smiling now, a small one but still there. “I remember.”

* * *

“Wow, you’re terrible,” Karma said dryly, sitting on the bed and watching his brother try and fail to complete a simple level of the One-Piece game Nakamura had got him for his birthday.

“Be quiet,” Gakushuu snapped, focusing on the game like his life depended on it.

Karma rolled his eyes and sipped his strawberry milk while reading through a comic. The two of them were in Gakushuu’s room, warming up after sending too long outside avoiding their father; his fingers still felt numb from the cold.

His gaze drifted to the shelf of glinting trophies in his brother's otherwise boring and plain room. He stared for a moment at the sheer amount of them, wondering how it could be possible to win so many competitions in such a short space of time. He paused when he looked at the tennis trophy near the far back of the shelf.

Karma glanced at Gakushuu who was still playing the game, before he sat up and moved off the bed towards the set of trophies. “Surprised dad let you keep this…” He said, picking up the small trophy they had won together in the tennis match when they were ten.

“...Why wouldn’t he?” Gakushuu kept his gaze on the console screen. “We won didn’t we?”

“Yeah…” Karma gripped the trophy tight when he took it off the shelf, feeling the memories stir in his head. “Training was shit though.”

He remembered vomiting after spending hours practicing back and forth in the boiling sun while their father observed from the side-lines, looking disappointed whenever Karma had faltered or objected.

 _Remember, practice makes perfect, boys._ He remembered his father grabbing him off the grass while he was still shaking from vomiting up his lunch and setting the tennis racket back in his hands. _So, we’ll keep practicing until you’re both perfect._

Karma started to feel nauseous, putting the trophy back on the shelf. “…What’s the point of even keeping all these stupid trophies?” He kept his gaze on the trophies. “He probably barely even comes in here.”

An uncomfortable quietness settled, the noise from the game filling the room.

“I don’t keep them for _him_ ,” his brother’s voice was cold. “I keep them to remind me who I am.”

Karma’s hands curled into a fist. “So are you gonna put up the final scores as well?”

For a second he was convinced his brother might punch him, a sharp rage glinting.

But, Gakushuu clearly had more self-control than their father or him, since he just sighed. “What did you expect would happen when you beat me?”

Karma stiffened, trying to keep his face passive. “Knocking you down a peg was a nice start.”

Gakushuu placed the console on the pillow and stood up. “Take it from my experience, chasing high grades to be acknowledged by our father is a fool’s errand.”

Karma bristled. “I didn’t do it because of him.” He did it to prove he was his brother’s equal, he did it to make Koro-sensei proud and…and to be…

“You did it to prove you were better than me,” Gakushuu seemed to finish his thoughts. “Unfortunately, _little brother,_ that’s also exactly what the Principal wanted you to do as well.” Tone condescending. “Rivalry among siblings is a powerful motivator, and you fell into it perfectly.”

Karma felt his temper spark, crushing the strawberry milk carton and getting the pink liquid on the wall. “Fuck off.” He shoved Gakushuu’s shoulder. “I did it to wipe that smirk off your face, asshole.”

His brother scoffed, glancing at the line of trophies on the shelf. “Fine. It doesn’t matter anyway, it’s in the past.” He raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t your class teach the value of learning from failure?”

Karma felt caught off guard by the admission. “Something like that, yeah…”

His brother hummed, seeming calmer than he should. “Then who cares?”

“…Yeah.” Karma looked at him warily, the calmness surrounding his brother feeling off. “It still matters though.” He looked pointedly at the bruise on the boy’s face.

Gakushuu stared at the trophies dully, touching his cheek. “Yes, I suppose so.”

Karma felt a swell of guilt for trying to rile him up. “…Sorry.”

His brother arched an eyebrow. “For what?”

_For putting the distance between us and blaming you for things that weren’t your fault._

Karma’s chest tightened, shrugging with forced casualness. "...For calling your trophies stupid.” He looked at the empty strawberry milk carton he was holding. “And for getting milk on your wall.”

There was a pause, his brother staring at him as if tempted to call bullshit.

Instead, his brother snorted obnoxiously, shaking his head as he walked back over to the bed. “Just be quiet while I try to beat this level.”

“Why bother, you suck?” Karma taunted, sitting on the bed next to him and watching nevertheless.

“Give me another hour and we’ll see about that.” Gakushuu focussed on the game like it was a new completion of a task that needed completion.

Karma scoffed, tossing the carton in the bin before he picked up his comic book again. “An hour? Wow, you really are slipping.”

Gakushuu didn’t lift his gaze as he shoved a pillow at Karma, nearly knocking him off the bed.

Karma smirked and hugged the pillow, warming his hands in it, leaning back a little against Gakushuu when the boy stayed close. 


End file.
